Rubicon Models
Rubicon Models => Work In Progress => Topic started by: Rubicon Models on December 01, 2014, 09:29:20 pm
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(http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag377/RubiconModels/Misc%20Images/ChurchillVariants03_zps25572548.jpg)
This is our 2nd Project Survey: Which Churchill do you want us to do?
Please vote using the poll above...
You can also leave your comments and thoughts below...
Here is some background information about the Churchill tank:
Churchill I (303 produced) - Equipped with a 2 pounder gun in the turret (150 rounds), and a coaxial Besa machine gun. There was a 3 inch howitzer in the hull (58 rounds). It was a tank that was noted for poor mechanical reliability. It was the main tank issued to the Canadian forces at Dieppe. It was used in Tunisia and some were still in use late in the war in Italy on the Gothic Line.
Churchill Mk II (1,127 produced) - Replaced the hull howitzer with another machine gun to reduce cost and complexity. Sometimes referred to as "Churchill Ia."
Churchill Mk IICS (Close Support) - Placed the 2pdr gun in the hull and the howitzer in the turret, available in very limited numbers. Sometimes called "Churchill II" Not used in combat.
Churchill Mk III (675 produced) - The III was the first major armament overhaul of the series, eliminating the hull howitzer and equipping the tank with a more powerful 6 pounder gun (84 rounds). Unlike early versions, it had a welded turret. The first Mark to have "catwalks" over the upper track runs.
Churchill Mk IV (1,622 produced) - The IV was the most numerous Churchill produced, and was virtually identical to the III, the largest change being a return to the less costly cast turret. The Mark V 6 pdr was fitted with a counterweight on early models. Some were retrofitted with 75mm guns (see "NA75", below) from Sherman tanks. Others were up-gunned with British 75mm guns, creating the Mk IV (75).
Churchill Mk V (241 produced) - A Churchill equipped with a close support 95 mm howitzer in place of the main gun (47 rounds) in a cast turret. The turret was similar but not identical to the MkIV/VI turrets with a slightly different opening for the gun in the turret front face.
Churchill Mk VI (200 produced) - Along with several minor improvements, eg an additional collar at the turret base protecting the turret race, it was produced as standard with the 75 mm Mk V gun. Few were built due to the near release of the VII and current upgunning of the III / IV.
Churchill Mk VII (A22F) (1,600 with VIII produced) - The second major redesign from previous models, the VII used the 75 mm gun, was wider and had much more armour. It is sometimes called the Heavy Churchill. This version of the Churchill first saw service in the Battle of Normandy, and was re-designated A42 in 1945.
Churchill Mk VIII - A Churchill VII which replaced the main gun with a 95 mm howitzer (47 rounds) in a slightly different turret.
;)
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Whichever comes out, wow!
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Probably best to do 2 kits . A Churchill III/ IV / AVRE ( as all WW2 AVREs were based on the III/IV tank ) and a Churchill VII/ Crocodile version . The III/IV would have 2 turrets - welded / cast , 3 gun options -6 pdr / 75mm / petrard morter . And a couple of little side bits for the AVRE.( mounting plates for engineering equipment) . The VII of course needs a different body ( round side doors ) and new turret . Add on the Croc trailer , the trailer hitch / rear end piping and flame gun .
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I voted for the Mk III/IV. I think it's the most important version, and the most common in the Normandy campaign (which seems to dominate other periods amongst WW2 wargamers). The earlier versions will be confined to the North African/Mediterranean theatre (and Dieppe), which seem to be less popular with wargamers. I'm not sure a Churchill is the best start for the British - since Warlord already do the Cromwell, I'd rather see you do the Firefly, or a Crusader.
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I would also like to see a plastic crusader
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Churchill III/IV with the NA75 option will be the best for me
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As with any tank whose service history was comprised of many marks over the whole war, the Churchill presents a few problems - namely you have to produce at least two quite different kits - one for early - mid & one for mid - late war.
So, with that in mind, my vote would be for one kit to represent MKs III - V & one for Mks VI - VIII (with, if possible representation of some AVRE variants - spigot mortar, 3' howitzer etc).
Dividing them may be problematic as hatches etc. can be in very different positions, which may make 'multi-mark' kits difficult.
As to whether late or early war should come first - I think you might get more bites for one of the 75 armed marks, but I'm sure there are others out there who'd feel differently.
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Ballardian: We are quite aware of the difficulties for this project. This is also why we are posting this survey to see what type of feedback and comments from our fans!
We probably will need to buy a few more reference books, and find some more blueprints and line drawings as research material before we can decide what to do next. We might postponed this project to a latter date if we find this project too difficult for us at the moment. Who knows?
;)
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"Mr Churchill's Tank" is a good reference book.
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The Churchill Mk IV
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if you do the avre properly then i will obviously sell less avre fitting like i have done for the warlord/italeri one but i can still do loads of conversions and even make the new sbg parts fit it.
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Bridge layer and crocodile !
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Personally I'd rather you did a Covenanter ::)
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Personally I'd rather you did a Covenanter ::)
Is that because they are immune to everything except airstrikes?
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Personally I'd rather you did a Covenanter ::)
Is that because they are immune to everything except airstrikes?
No it's so that I don't have to build/convert two for my home guard, I've been putting it off for over 2 years now :-[ :-[
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If you look at the Warlord/Italeri Churchill kit, that would be the benchmark. That can do III-VI and AVRE, though apparently the AVRE is missing some bits.
The hull for the III-VI was the same all the way through.
So my vote would be for one kit with III-VI and one kit with VII, VIII & Crocodile.
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Since Italier/WLG already had a Churchill released, we can push the project back until we'd finished other more pressing projects. We are not in a hurry...
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Since Italier/WLG already had a Churchill released, we can push the project back until we'd finished other more pressing projects. We are not in a hurry...
They don't have the VII, VIII & Crocodile out ;-)
Anyway, your kits go together better than the others. One piece tracks for the win.
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Churchill III/IV with the NA75 option will be the best for me
This! If you cover the III/IV, AVRE and NA75 then that's by far the most useful kit.
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This! If you cover the III/IV, AVRE and NA75 then that's by far the most useful kit.
But Warlord already do this kit, with all those options, in plastic. As Rubicon pointed out.
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The only ones that would make sense to produce are mk VII Crocodile and Avre bridge layer with bridge.